Oct.10

Another night, another hunt.

I set the dish in the sink and went back to join my mom on the couch. It was always a holiday tradition to sit together and watch at least one slasher B-movie before Halloween. Luckily this year the Sci-fi channel was playing Serial Killer from the Upsideover. I rattled the soul dew around my mouth, enjoying the sweet pineapple sensation.

My mom slid down the cushions, dozing off into sleep. Half a bucket of fried chicken and she was down for the count for the rest of the night. Quickly, I made my way off the couch. Before I headed out, I grabbed my mask -- the burlap sack with a jagged smile.

Back in the loft, I heard my mother shuffle. She was now overtaking the whole sofa. I couldn’t help but watch over her. It filled me with sadness, lying to her for another month. There was a time last year I really tried to tell her, but she just didn’t believe me. Now another Hallowed Month, another month of sneaking out and lying to her.

Wonder how it would be like in the coming years. I could only be in high school for a few more years. I wouldn’t have changed much either. Then, would she believe me and my new life? I kissed her on the forehead, then put a sticky note on the refrigerator door.

‘Went to Caleb’s be back Later <3’

Technically I wasn’t lying. Ascending the staircase, I opened the unlocked door to the messy apartment. The home was dead silent, but I wanted to visit my injured friend before the hunt. I opened the bedroom door to find Caleb, still laying immobilized wrapped in bandages. Even with his ghastly grey skin, the red blotches of burns were still as evident and painful as ever. Hunter sat in the bedside chair, snoring peacefully. He looked fatigued and weary, worried for Caleb’s well-being to the point of not leaving his side. He also transformed, the moonlight shining translucent through his body.

“Good night guys,” I tried to smile, closing the door. It was time to go.

All was quiet in the middle of the forest. The trees rustled with the cold autumn wind. The sky was faintly lit with dancing fireflies. I followed the set trail laid with benches and lampposts until came to an opening in the wild.

The open space was lined with metal picnic benches, the ones that have holes that you got your finger stuck in third grade (Not that that happened to me or anything). At one of the tables, sat three of my fellow huntsmen. Grim sat on one of the table tops cross-legged talking to Tiny and Casanova, hearing about their stories of hunting. You could tell the beaming smile on her face, she was slowly accepting the new life, able to enjoy what she was living through. I’ve had my turns of existential dread to immortal bliss multiple times, so I was glad she was on the higher end today.

She saw me and grinned in excitement, “Hi Scarecrow!”

I approached the group. It seemed from the peace of the forest nothing has happened yet. I examined the terrain dignity for any signs of the Cerberus. I wanted to find that creature and take it out. For Caleb. Just the thought of him, his disheveled body confined to his bed, filled me with an intense anger. The thought made me accidentally summon my blade to my hand.

Lin, under her orange Mardi gras-esque disguise, grabbed my hand to calm me, “How’s he doing?”

“Cal- Batter is doing fine, I guess. Not much has changed, but he was able to get some rest tonight. Sang too.”

“That’s good!” Tiny shook his head in approval. Our ally Tiny was still an enigma to me. I didn’t even know his real identity. He was just our super strong, super nice hunter friend with a chainsaw sword. “Hopefully our little buddy gets better!”

She smiled in response. It was faint, but I knew she was hopeful. That was when around us, the foliage shook around us. The ground ruptured, spilling out dark green tendrils. In an instant, the neatly lined picnic tables clanged together, moving with the earth. Tiny called out, “This is it, guys!” He materialized his weapon a bright orange chainsaw with a sword-like handle. Gripping it tightly, the chain began to rev.

The stems began to shake from the ground in irritation. A wheezing came from the ground, almost if it screamed in pain. Something wasn’t right. And things just got weirder from there.

From the pitch black darkness, three sets of golden red glared at the situation. I heard a deep, ancient growl before a massive black figure leaped into the air. Standing before us was the Cerberus.

Its massive form was covered in a shag of midnight black fur. Sure enough to the myths, it had three dog heads, each snapping in malice. Its claws were the size of glaives, each ready to tear you apart at any moment. It snarled at us, warning us to get back or else.

The evil roots ceased growing, covering a small area of the sanded opening. The beast looming over us stared daggers into my being. I understood what Hunter meant when he said he just froze. My limbs felt impossibly heavy, and my legs felt wobbly like jelly.

With a powerful howl in the air, the Cerberus turned to the fissure of plants growing out of it. Slowly, the three heads bent down, beginning to rip it out of the ground. The tendrils were chewed up into the black paste of its true form, being consumed by the monster.

I stared at Cas. Her face was one of fear and confusion. With the last roots falling victim within the Cerberus’ maw, the visage of the creature began to rapidly grow. At first, the beast was maybe the size of a bus. Now, it towered the trees, roughly the size of half my apartment complex. Once it finished its salad binge, it turned back to us.

I stood my ground, both of my silver blades hot with fire. It lumbered towards me, but as soon as I tried to slash my sword, the Cerebus jumped into the air. It soared over me, like a blimp in the sky, then evaporated into the night sky. I stood watching the night, hoping to see the beast rematerialize, but it never did.

I looked over to the other hunters I was with. Grim was as surprised as I was, while Tiny examined the dark woods, looking for any sign of the monster. Casanova took a deep breath of apprehension. “This is really, really not good.”